Poration



H. L. ALLAN ET AL WAX SWEATING AND CRYSTALLIZING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 9, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet l ram 2l Figi.

CNRIGME NND DISCIIRKGJN CKRHIII wax/LET mw 25C ountr Y A A Dec. 27, 1927. 1,654,232

H. ALLAN ETAL.

WAX SWEATING AND CRYSTALLIZING AEPARATUS Filed De' e. 1924 4 sheets-sheet 2 1,654,232 H. L. ALLAN ET AL.

WAX SWEATING AND CRYSTALLIZING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 9, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Figa NEWT/N6 6l? COL/NG CELL 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 TE'HM /IVLET A-.. L L. i-

H. L. ALLAN ET AL Filed Dec. 9, 1924 MXL m fd Mm wAx swEATING AND CRYSTALLIZING APPARATUS TEHM DRH/N Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

4UNITEDy STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH LOGIE ALLAN AND JAMESMOORE, OF BURMAH, vBRITISH INDIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE BURMAH OIL COMPANY LIMITED, OF GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, A BRITISH COR- PORATION.

IVAX SI/EATING AND CRYSTALLIZING APPARATUS.

.application filed December 9, 1924, Serial No. 754,807, and in Great Britain August 29, 1924.

This invention relates to an improvement in or modification ot the sweating and crystallizing apparatus ior paratlin and like wax described and claimed in the specification of our prior United States Patent No. 1,504,923, ot August 12th, 1921.

The present invention has tor its object to improve and simplify the construction of the apparatus, to avoid the use ot intercell air pipes tor the escape ot' air in the wax chambers, to improve and simplify the arrangement and location of the charging and discharging pipes by dispensing with the use ot separate inter-cell charging and discharging pipes, and to increase the heating and cooling effect throughout the wax compartments. Other objects and advantages will appear 'from the following description of the drawings accompanying this specification, whereon Fig. 1 is a partial vertical section through the apparatus, the cells being shown broken olf for simplicity o1 illustration and the apparatus being shown in a vertical position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view ot the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal crosssection through the apparatus.

Fig. l is a detail vertical-sectional View through two adjacent cooling cells.

Fig. 5 is a plan showing the arrangementof a plurality oit adjacent coolers or wax sweating apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the gauze floor ot each wax compartment.

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical-sectional view of the gauze floor to a larger scale.

Fig. 8 is an elevation ot the steam grid in the charging and discharging space.

The apparatus comprises a plurality ot closed chambers or wax compartments 17 which are sealed by filling each compartment with wax or wax mixture to the cx clusion ot' air. The wax compartments are separated by superposed and spaced hori zontal heating and cooling cells 13 and the wax compartments are surrounded ,by an outer shell or casing 10.

In the apparatus described in our prior patent specilication, the shell was cylindrical and the wax charging and discharging pipes passed through each cell. le prefer however to locate the clmrging and discharging pipes outside the periphery oi the cells and we therefore provide a vertical chamber 15 at one side ot the apparatus, this chamber being closed externally by metal cover plates 1G and being open internally to each of the wax compartments 17 so that there is open communication between the chamber 15 and the 'ax compartments.

rl`he wax sweating plant may comprise a plurality ot coolers each consisting ot' a complete unit similar to that shown in Fie. 1 each unit being tilted slightly from the vertical position shown in Fig. 1 so as to lean over as indicated in Fig. 5, that the centre A ol the top cell and the centre B of the bottom cell are both in a vertical plane C-C passing through the centre o'l' the charging chamber 15.

The oil or wax mixture is supplied to the charging chamber 15 through a connection 14 at the bottom thereof. The connection 14 also serves to run olf the sweatings during the sweating process.

The wax is supported in cach compart- Y ment 17 on a perforated raised support 18 of gauze or expanded metal or the like which rests on distance pieces or bars 19 suitably spaced apart and secured to the top plate ot each cell 13. As illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, we prefer to make the perforated support 18 in two halves with a central removable strip 2G mounted on a stiffening bar 27 (shown partly7 withdrawn in Fig. 6). The cells 13 are, lor convenience, constructed ot' plates lap-jointed at 13a as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. v

Each compartment 17 is enclosed by a cylindrical easing or ring 11 which is suspended from the cell 13 immediately above the compartment. The ring 11 is open at the side adjacent the charging chamber l5 and has air holes 2O diametrically opposite the opening 11 and close to the underside of the upper cell 13 (see Fig. 1). The lower edge of the ring 11 is just clear of the perforated floor 18. It will be apparent that. the air holes 2O are formed in the highest part of cach wax compartment 17 so that the air displaced during the charging of the compartment with wax escapes into the next upper compartment. A steam pipe 22 (shown in Fig. 1) extends down the outside ot the shell 10 close to the air holes 2O in order to ensure by local heating the maintenance ot a clear channel between the a holes 20 and the shell 10 tor the escape ot the air during the lilling` ope et/ion.

The uppermost compartment 1i has un oil overflow Bil :1nd :in oir pipe both oi which pass through the top cell 13.

'lhe clnufging` cheinber 1.5 titled :rt the top with u stezinl pipe connection Q1 :ind :it the bottoni of the chamber 15 there is s stcnni d rein connection 25S. The connections 2.1 und 223 :ire connected up by unionse or siinilur connections to n. grid torined ot two or `inore i-:teznn pipes i8 (see Fig. The stezun grid 28 serves to heart the channber l5 end clear the sinne of soliditied We); prior to sweating. 'lfhe chnniber 15 :also serres es en observution space, lor which purpose it litted :it intervals with glues or other trzinsparent Wiiuilon's 31'). The unions 12:3 enable the whole erld Ztl to be Withdrawn to perinit oi' the reniovnl oli the control section 2G ot gauze or e;-piinded inelel.

1li plurzilit),Y olf verticol line :ire tren rersely disposed .in each compartment 1'?, cach lin 2) being; Secured to the underside o1 the next. upper cell 13 (euch :is by Welding), so that the heet within the cellel 13 peeses by conductivity from the lower glate of each cell 13 to the lins 29 suspended therefrom. 'lille eoinpertn'ients 17 are therebyv unitorinly lientedby the lins Q9. lhe cylindrical ring` 11 also .serves as a heet radiating lin. Vilie cylindrical iin 11 o2 the top wax eornportinent 17 is carried by or 'welded to 'the trans verse .tins 2) instead oit being suspended direetly :troni the top cell 13.

The intermediate cells 13 nre not con nected to the outer ehell or creino' 10, but aire supported one there unether by ineens of packing pieces (not shown) inserted during,I erection oit the apparatus between the gauze or expanded nietel 18 on the top ot one cell 13 end the lower edges oit the lins 29 depending lroni the next, higher cell 13. rhese packing pieces are pre'leinfblyT inode separate lroin the fins 291 in order thatl refulzir vertical spacing of the cells 113 inny he obtained in spite ol. unawoidnble innceurncies in the constructimi ot the cells and their dependent lins. y

lleetiug;` or cooling` unter ie circulated through the cells by 'my ol" inlety pipes 311-, the unter circulating through the cells in a circuitous or sinuous path by the provieion of divisions or baille bars 83 within the cells 13. rlfhe inlet pipes lei are connected to e bender 35 and the Water leaves the cells by pipes v32 connected to e hendel' 31. '.lhe inlet pipes 341 may be litted with regulating vulves 58 and the outlet pipes 32 with therinon'ieter cups 37.

The obserintion space 15 is inode with reinoreble covers or sections 16 for facilitating access to the interior ot the apparatus or cleaning purposes or repairs.

Bering; sweating'. the wax in the space between the cylindrical fins 11 und the shell 10 is supported by e perforated lining` 3G (Fig. 1) ot' gauze or expanded metal.

lrlrovision is nnide :it 3) Afor inter connections i'l required tor u'eShingbut the uppointus.

10 nre eyc-plntil1 'fixed to the ltop plates of the cells iior lifting purposes. all are triuisverse stay bolts tor the changing, cheniber 15.

lt will be apparent that the clnxrgiingv chenlber 15 serves for .filling each comporte nient between the cells with We); or wax inixture, the air in each conn'nntinentcreeping` through the nir holes Q0. The nbsenee oit the nir pipesl d scribed in our prior potent also avoids the necessityv of admitting air to replace the Wm; which collects in and must be drained :troni the tir pipes before crystallization coinnienees.

'.lhe charging chznnber 15 also serves 'to carry ellvl the sn'eetings end linishefgl product (ller having been cleared oi solidified wax puse-ingr steun! throu' i the eienni grid Ztl.

l`he use olf solid .tins 2S) insteed ot hollow tins einiplilies the eoustruetimi ot the nppointus und inininiizes en); inconvenience which might arise lrorn lealtings due toV u faulty or Ytrectured hollow lin.

lhe inode of operation of the apparatus is :is follows :Ml/Tater zit :L temperature slightly :zbove the melting); point. ol the Wei; n'iixture to be (rented if admitted througgh the houder i5 to the piper; El end circulates through the cells 137 leevinpY theni by wey ol' the pipes 232 :ind resine into the heel ler 53.. 'lhe bent by conduetion :ind these (ins uniformly lient up the was: coinpzirtnien ts 1i. r.libe uns'. ininture is then supplied through the charging pipe 11v und rifies into the chznnber :ind through the opening in erich rinl 1.1 into euch mix compel.'tinent 1"?. Each uen coinpertinent is thus successively rino completely lilled and sealed sind the displaced nir escarpes through the nir vents 20 into the upper port of the uppznntus. Aidillio-n the :ippurntus is iull, the` un); mixture n'ill orerlion' et. 2li.

'lhe unter circulating; through the cells is now Aeruduully reduced in tenipe nture und. when the charge hns been cooled to the desired tenipeuture, n period ol' rest may be given to torni the wir); cryetnls.

Steznn is then edinitted to pipe 521 und posses through the grid 28, thereby clearing the chunber 15 o'lE solidilied weit. blweutiukgg is then eonnnenced by gradually raising the temperature 01"' the Water circulgitinol through the cells 13. Su'enting continued so lone; desired and the su'eatings runr o'tlj' through the openinpge in the rings 11 end into the ehnniber 154.` Where the7 are discharged through the pipe 14. Het air may be adniitted through the pipe 2 to replace the sweatings without chilling the surface of the oil or wax in the wax compartments. lVhen sweating is completed, the wax is finally melted out by circulating hot water or steam through the cells 13, the wax sweatcd out ruiming away through the openings in the rings l1 into the chamber l5 and out through the pipe 14:.

The pipe l/l is fitted with a branch pipe with a valve through which the sweatings are run oli' into a suitable receptacle, this branch pipe being closed by means ot the valve when the mixture is being supplied to the apparatus. To separate the oil from the wax, the sweated wax or linished product run oill through the branch pipe into a separate receptacle after the sweatings have been removed.

Claims:

l. Apparatus for crystallizing and sweating parailin and like wax, comprising an outer shell, upper and lower heating' or cooling cells within said shell, a ring within the outer shell and suspended peripherally trom the upper cell so as to enclose a space beneath the upper cell, said ring haring an inlet opening at one side and an air vent at the opposite side near the top et' said ring, and a wax and oil supply chamber connected to and open to the interior ot' said shell adjacent the inlet opening in said ring.

2. Apparatus for crystallizing and sweating parallin and like wax, comprising an upper heating or cooling cell, a casing peripherally suspended from said cell to 'forni a wax-containing space beneath said cell. a lower heating or cooling` cell upon which said casing is supported, said casing having an inlet opening at one side and an air vent at the opposite side near the top thereof, a shell surrounding said casing, and a vertical wax and oil supply and discharging chamber connected to said shell and opening into the interior thereof adjacent said inlet opening.

3. Apparatus for crystallizing and sweating parailin and like wax, comprising an outer shell, upper and lower heating or cooling cells within said shell, a ring within the outer shell and suspended pcripherally trom the upper cell so as to 'enclose a space be.- neath the upper cell. said ring having an inlet opening at one side and an air rent at the opposite side near the top et' said ring, a wax and oil supply chamber connected to and open to the interior ot said shell adjacent the inlet opening in said ring, and a reticulated liner situated in the annular space between the shell and ring tor supporting wax in the said space.

4. Apparatus for crystallizing and sweating para'liin and like wax, comprising a. plurality of superposed and spaced heating or cooling cells, a shell surrounding` said cells, a ring peripherally depending 'trom each cell wit-hin the casing to lorm a wax conn partment beneath each cell, a vertical wax and oil supply and discharging chamber alongside ot and outside the periphery of said cells, said chamber being att-ached to said shell and open to the interior ot' said wax cmnpartments, and an air vent in cach ot said rings near the top thereof.

5. Apparatus vtor crystallizing and sweating parailin and like. wax, comprising a plurality ot superposed and spaced heating or cooling cells, a shell enclosing said cells, wax compartments between the cells, a vertical wax and oil supply and discharging chamber alongside ot and outside the periphery of said cells, said chamber being attached to said shell and open to said wax compartments, air vents at the top o'f each wax com partment, a grid ot' steam pipes extending vertically through the said chamber, and a` cover plate for said chamber for enabling removal oit the grid.

(i. Apparatus tor crystallizing and sweating parallin and like wax, comprising a plurality ot superposed and spaced heating or cooling cells, a shell surrounding said cells, a ring peripherally depending from each cell within the casing to form a wax compartment beneath each cell, a. vertical wax and oil supply and discharging chamber alongside. ot' and outside the periphery of said cells, said chamber being attached to said shell and open to the interior of said wax compartments, an air vent in each of said 'rings near the top thereof, and a liner ot reticulated metal extending from top to bottom of the apparatus between the cells and surrounding shell, to support wax in the space between the cells and shell.

7. Apparatus for crystallizing and sweat ing parailin and like wax, comprising a. waxcontaining compartment, hollow heating or cooling cells above and below said compartment, a wax and oil supply and discharging chamber alongside of said Compartment and open to the interior thereof, an air vent at the opposite side of said compartment and a. raised perforated wax support in each compartment, said wax support being constructed in two halves with a central removable strip.

S. Apparatus `for crystallizing and sweat ing parattin and like wax, comprising a plurality ot sul'ierposed and spaced heating or cooling cells, cylindrical rings enclosing the spaces between said cells to provide enclosed intermediate wax compartments, an air Vent for each con'ipartment, a wax and oil supply and discharging chamber alongside ot and outside the periphery of said compartments and open to the interior of said compartments and a raised perforated wax support in each compartment, each wax support being constructed in two halves with a central removable strip.

i). Ap} iara tu s for erystallizing and sweatitl ingr parall'ln and like wan, comprising a. plie of said, cells and open te the inlerimf el Said rality 0i Superposed and spaced heating or Cmnpar'tnienis, each of said ringe liav'ing an eooling Cells, a casing enclosing` said Cells, a opening; adjacent the charging clianiber and cylindrical ring dependingv from each Cell an air vent diametrieally op'pwele 'the wpen- 5 to yprovide intermediate Wax compartments, ing and close to die underede of die next a raised perforated Wax support in each Coinliigher Cell. partment, each ringT reeling upon the next rlhe 'loi'eg i,ng specification ,signed at llanlower perforated Wax Support, a vertical geen, this twenty 'irt day o'f Oeiielier, i924; Wax and oil Supply and diecliarging chain- HUGH LGH ,iil'ifil 1U ber alongside of and outside the periphery Y JAMES liiUOllil 

